‘The Village’ is not a bad film.

Did the sun rise from the east or the west today? – Found an interesting article over at Joblo.com. They run a column known as The Black Sheep featuring different takes on films. This time they are taking on The village. Here is their column. Reason it’s interesting, for the majority of the critics bashed Shyamalan’s film. I think this is the film after they all started saying that Shyamalan has lost the touch while in my opinion The Village is one of Shyamalan’s beautiful films. The score, the story, I can go on, but that’s my opinion, but make sure to check out their take on the film. I think they deserve a thank you. And, it looks like we will have a good word about Lady In The Water as well in the future.

M. Night created an environment based on fear and tradition that seems both realistic and terrifying (well, to a point. Not really scary but more eerie). Creating a near alternative world (for three quarters of the movie at least) where monsters ruled the woods and humans lived in fear. Where colors mean something more than a color scheme.

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There are some things I’ll never understand. Such as, why people dislike this movie so much. I’ve heard people call it a travesty or the end of Shyamalan’s career… I simply don’t get it. The Village is a good movie. Fair and simple. Neat story, good acting, beautiful music, beautiful cinematography, and some great non-CGI monsters. True, I walked out of Unbreakable and Signs thinking “WOW” but was only thinking “OK” when I walked out of The Village. But this movie has resonance. It’s grown to be my second favorite of all the Night films. (I’m sure real Night fans can guess which one I claim as my number one.) But there are definitive moments in this movie that are truly amazing! Hey, if it means I’m out of touch with mainstream audiences, I’ll take my seat next to the filmmaker.

The Village is one of my favorites. To me it’s about the lengths (and depths) one will go to after living through unbearable grief. The monsters were the over-the-top excuse to avoid dealing with grief. If the people in the village can keep others afraid of leaving the forest, it keeps them from going back into the real world to deal with their loss. The village represents a self-protected bubble that most people experience when they experience loss. That’s why it’s a beautiful film–it looks into the psyche and shows us the frailty of our humanity.

It is indeed a beautiful movie and I personally prefer it over “The Sixth Sense.” The movie was marketed badly however.

I wrote the following thoughts on an IMDB forum:

“THE thing with Shyamalan’s films is that there is far more to his movies than meets the eye. Viewers only watching at a SURFACE level will only recognize the “twists” and “thrills” and judge the merits of his work based on the *immediate gratification* they either receive or don’t. “Did I jump out of my seat at this part? Did I see that coming?” Quite frankly, this could be the fault of the way either M. Night or the studios choose to *market* the films: the trailers often give viewers a somewhat misleading understanding of what to expect from the actual substance of the movies going in.

*BUT* viewers with a more spiritual outlook on life, and who engage with M. Night’s work on a more thoughtful, introspective level, are always left with new and interesting ideas to ponder with regard to the subtle messages and lessons Shyamalan communicates through his stories. For me personally, it’s not about the twists and thrills, (though that’s definitely part of it) but the *deeper meaning* behind his films.

ARTISTICALLY speaking, Shyamalan is a master of nuance and subtlety, something most modern-day American movie-goers are not trained to look for and appreciate.

The dictionary defines “nuance” as:
1. a subtle difference or distinction in expression, meaning, response, etc.
2. a very slight difference or variation in color or tone.

MUCH of what is to appreciate about Shyamalan’s work is in the “details,” and they might require a lot more examination than merely watching the movie expecting “instant” answers and “instant” entertainment.”

This is my fav Shyamalan film
The dialogues, acting, score, setting and above all the story are forging together as Shyamalan’s masterpiece. For me personally this movie is a perfect form of escapism.
I’d give everything to forget my life over here and move into that village.
Shyamalan’s the best.

The village is a beautifully written piece of cinema. How or why some critics hate this film is beyond me. Shyamalan’s story of isolation, fear and love is magically acted out and directed with love by a director who makes every word and every shot count for something.This comes a close second behind Unbreakable as my favourite Shyamalan movie.Original, scary and moving!

This movie is one of the best from Shyamalan. The story is awesome, the score is beautifull, the actors are great. I really felt the love and suspense in the film. It’s just one of my favorites movies ever. It makes me cry every time I see it <3

This is on his best movies in my humble opinion, i love specially the fact that in acertain point, Shyamalan reveals whitout any ceremony the “monters” as a fake, and we stantly understand why Noah is the only one to have fun in the beggining of the movie. Night follows Hitchcock that doens’t like the idea of trying to find the “hidden assassin” cause he thinks that it could distracts the audience from the story, so Shyamalan get rid of the monsters to concentrate in the characters and specially the love that leads Ivy to a place she doesn’t even knows if she could return, she must do it for her love. And even when we know about the monster plot, she finds Noah dressed as one stared in front of her, the scene is creepy. Shyamalan directs this movie brilliantly.
I have faith that in the future this guy is certainlly recognized as the great director he is.